Collusion
by Trace Pierce
Summary: Itachi knew what he had to do. Kill everyone, leave her. He thought that he would never see her again. Until he was ordered to kidnap that Houkou... Everythig was about to be tested. ItaOC Major spoilers in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

This story is up on Fanlib under the title Forbidden Love-Collusion but I thought I would change the title since-- let's face it-- it's a little unoriginal. : / Instead of having a built in sequel, I'm just going to make it continue.

Please keep in mind I do not own Itachi Uchiha. Nobuhiro Watsuki does. : D

I do own Lido though. She's awesome. Awesome of the Awesomeness.

**Act One:**

Memories

_I am standing here in this big world, but I am not intimidated._

_For by my side you stand,_

_your trust in my hand._

_I hold everything you hold dear._

_As you hold everything I am._

_You are my world,_

_my reason to again stand._

_And stand I shall._

_For if I fall_

_you will be there to pick me up._

_If I stumble_

_you will heal my wounds._

_And if I get lost,_

_you will always find me._

_And if I leave,_

_somehow,_

_I will always come back._

_For it was you who saw me_

_for who I am._

_Not who I could be._

_Not who I should be._

_But for whom you knew I was._

_For whom you came to love and trust._

_You are the one_

_I will always come back to._

Two children sat on a hilltop, enjoying the feel of freedom. The grass beneath them the cool autumn breeze on their faces a refreshing sensation, and a beautiful sunset spread out before them.

The black-haired girl looked over at the raven-haired boy. "Itachi?"

The boy who looked about nine years of age- two years older than the girl- did not even turn his head but kept his gaze on the sunset. He, unlike the girl, was lying down in the grass. "Hm?" he managed to reply, only partially interested.

The girl hesitated to ask, but she wanted to know. Itachi wasn't talking at all and she knew that meant Itachi was thinking or upset about something. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

She looked at the Uchiha boy and studied him, waiting for an answer.

He sighed. "My brother is four now. I am nine. I take my chunin exam in the spring."

"That is what you want isn't it?" the girl asked.

The boy, Itachi, shrugged. "I guess. All I want is to become stronger. So does everyone else in my clan. But when it comes to the village, our views... differ." he seemed to retreat somewhere deep inside himself, dark in thought, his eyes empty.

They set there for quite a while in silence.

Itachi was the one to break the trance. "What of your parents, Lido?" he asked, curiosity now crossing his face.

But Lido did not seem as enthused about the question. Her eyes turned cold. "What about them?"

Itachi sat up. "Well. Are they still keeping you locked up?"

"Yeah." she answered. "I only got out today because I got sent to my room and so I snuck out."

"Sent to your room? For what?" he asked.

"Oh it's nothing I did, really. Mother tells me that the village leader is unhappy with father and that was why father was angry." she answered casually as if this behavior of her father was normal.

Itachi stared at her. "Why is he unhappy with your father?"

Lido shrugged. "Mother has never told me why. And I am sent to my room so I can never hear what they argue about, my room being on the second floor."

Itachi laid back in the grass again. "One day I will free you of that prison." he stared into her eyes. "I promise."

The raven haired Itachi was standing on the same hilltop six years later, staring at the sunset. His face had aged gracefully and was now the face of a handsome young man. His hair was as long as ever, down to his shoulders and tied loosely. His eyes, filled with worry, were a dark ebony. His raven hair even darker. The structure of his body was that of a man's, his shoulders broad, and his stature proud. He held his head high like a gentleman.

A young lady around the age of thirteen walks up the hill gracefully toward Itachi. Itachi turned around immediately upon hearing her approach. She was beautiful. Her femininely curved body was cloaked in a black kimono with red flowers. Her black hair was down to her shoulders, and her eyes, those beautiful red eyes that he got lost in every time he saw her. Although she was still young she had a peace about her that only people seven times her age had.

"Where were you?" he walked towards her and they stopped, eyes locked with each others'. "I was getting worried." he said gently.

Those beautiful eyes. Just a few weeks ago they had been filled with tears and her innocent face had been buried in his shoulder over the loss of her father. He had been so helpless. He hated to see her in pain. He wanted to make it stop. But the bleeding from wounds of the heart cannot be stopped by another. They can only be comforted. And all he could do was hold her in his arms and pray that everything would be alright. She was so young. So delicate. Her soul so fragile. So innocent. She didn't deserve to go through all the pain she had been through.

His conscience then hit him. There was a spark in her eyes. A glimmer in them. A glimmer of hope. A sign that she was fighting. Fighting to stay alive. Every time he saw that in her eyes it gave him hope. But his conscience hit him and he had to look away. He couldn't look into her eyes. Not since he was going to put her in even more pain. Not since he was going to break his promise to her that they would fight together.

He turned his back to her.

"Itachi?" she gave him a questioning look. "What is wrong?"

He took a deep breath and then plunged in. He had to tell her before he left. Otherwise he would never forgive himself for not seeing her face to face and telling her. "I am leaving, Lido. I have been planning it for a while."

"I know." she said casually.

He turned around and looked at her, dumbfounded. "You knew?"

"I knew that you were planning something. I could see it in your eyes. It was as if you were keeping something from me. I knew it had to be something big."

They stared at each other. She understood him better than he thought. She had known all along what he would do. And she understood why.

"When are you leaving?" she asked.

The wind blew their hair. He could now see those pretty red eyes of hers. They were filled with understanding and acceptance.

"Tonight." he answered.

There was another gust of wind and this time her hair covered her eyes but he caught a glimpse of the pain in them.

"Where will you go?"

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He knew that she was the one person who could persuade him not to do this. To stay and be with her. And by gods he'd do it, too. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to be by her side every waking moment. And meeting her here today he had expected her to do just that. But instead she seemed to have been ready for this. As if somehow...

"Come with me." he said, before he could stop himself.

She shook her head. "Now you and I both know that you can't take me with you. So let's not pretend. Besides. I have been prepared for this day for a while now. I knew that you couldn't stay here for long. That once you were old enough you would leave here. You are too free spirited. I love that about you." she said. She walked over to him until she was just inches away. He stared into her eyes. Those beautiful eyes. As she raised her parted lips up to his he parted his. And when they met he was lost. He was not leaving today. He was staying here with her. And this was not his last sunset with her. There would be plenty more where they would sit together, holding hands. And this was not their last kiss but the first of many.

When she parted her lips from his she smiled at him. Her face was innocent but her cheeks had a rosy color to them. She smiled bashfully and then started to walk away. She had walked quite a ways down the hill when he came to his senses again. He was about to forget why he had even came here!

"Lido!" he called then raced down after her. He took something from his pocket once he had gotten down to her and handed it to her. "I want you to have this."

"A headband?" she held it in her hands, looking at her reflection in the metal part of it. There in the middle was the leaf symbol. "But Itachi, I am not a ninja. I can't wear this! It would be a dishonor to those who have earned it." she said.

He smiled at her. She was always so considerate. "I want you to have it. Keep it with you. You don't have to wear it. But I hope that it will be as important to you as it was to me. You see, this was my first headband. I have kept it all of these years to remind myself of how far I have come and how far I have to go. But I want you to keep it because I want it to be your strength. I want it to remind you that you can do anything that you want to. And that there is always hope."

She wrapped her arms around him, holding back tears. When they broke apart Itachi found it hard to let her go. She put on her best fake smile although she knew he could see right through her. "I better get back before they notice I am gone." she said. She took one last look at him and then started walking back down the hill and into the village.

He watched her as she walked out of his life. This might be the last time he saw her. And surely the last time he would speak to her. He was going to get out of her life. For after tonight, he would not only be a danger to her, but a danger to everyone. After tonight there was no going back to his past life. There were no sunsets. There were no more kisses from her. And he was leaving today. He had to move forward. He couldn't look back.

With that in mind, he walked the rest of the ways down the hill and moved toward his destiny.

Lido could not sleep. She found herself staring at the white ceiling above her. Tears were streaming down her face. Her best friend was leaving her. Her only friend in the world, her strength. Her reason for living was leaving her. Her first love was leaving her. One by one the people she cared about were leaving her. And there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was be strong. Just like Itachi had been strong for her. That was why she had not begged him to stay. For she knew that this was something he had to do. If she tied him down here then she could never forgive herself. She tossed in her bed and looked out the window. Where was he now? What was he doing? And why did he leave? She had thought of asking him that. He had to have a reason. But now she would never find out. For he was gone now. Gone like a shooting star. A primitive comparison. But exactly the way it was. Magical, blissful, wonderful for a while and then it was gone as quickly as it came.

Itachi took one last look at the village he had grown up in. Bodies laid on the ground. Blood covered the streets. Inside his house laid his dead father, mother, and his unconscious brother whom he had taken pity on. Pity. He, Uchiha Itachi had taken pity. Why? He did not know. But something in him saw himself. Even though his brother Sasuke was a spoiled brat, Itachi had always been fond of the boy. And he had never been there for him like he should have been. He had never been the big brother that he wanted to be to Sasuke. He was always training or with Lido. Perhaps he had been screwing up his own life from the start. But there was nothing he could do now. Now he was a murderer. The now infamous murderer of the entire Uchiha clan. He had no regrets. He had never been a regretful person. Except he did feel like he would regret something later. Leaving _her._ That he would always secretly regret.

He could not stay here any longer. The group that he was to meet tonight was in the next town, waiting for him. Waiting for him to accept his destiny. His future.

**Alright. So that's the first chapter. Hope you all liked it. Please rate. This is my first fanfic and I really need to know if there is any point in me continuing this story or not. Constructive criticism is welcome but please, no flames.**


	2. An Unexpected Turn

Trace: Yay. We're on to Chapter Two!

Itachi: groans Why did I start this?

Trace: Because I wanted you to and you have no choice in the matter.

camera goes out to reveal that Itachi is tied up in a chair and Trace is holding needles.

Trace: Now hold still... The manual says that I have to stick them in you quick in order for this to work...

Itachi: gulps

**Act Two:** _An Unexpected Turn_

When he walked into the next town he had not expected to see only two people waiting there for him. He approached carefully. "Where are the others?" he asked.

A man with blue skin that looked like a shark answered, "Taking care of another village."

"Another village? But I thought mine was the only one tonight?" Itachi asked. He had not been told about this!

"No. We have been planning on taking over the Shimizu village for quite a while." the other man answered.

"The Shimizu village?" _Lido._ Itachi took off toward the village, running as fast as he could. He had to get there and fast! He could not lose Lido! He could not!

Lido was lost in her thoughts when she heard the downstairs door open. Worried, she got up from the bed and put on her robe and went down the stairs. Before she got half way down her mother was rushing up the stairs screaming for her to go back up. Lido ran to her room and her mother closed and locked the door. Her mother did not turn to her. She just stared at the door, a kunai in her shaking hands.

When Itachi got to the village there were no lights on. A bad sign. He was too late. He opened the door to her house. All was quiet. He ran up the stairs where her room was. The door was wide open. He stepped forward but he tripped over something. He looked down. A woman was lying at his feet in a pool of blood. His heart pounded. She looked exactly like Lido. Black hair and her open eyes as red as blood. But her face was aged to a spinster of about thirty. It was Lido's mother. He looked around the room. The room was a wreck. A chair was overturned along with a bookshelf. Books were strewn all over the floor. There was a vase broken into pieces on the floor. The cherry blossoms that he had picked for Lido were now lying on the floor. Above them the window was open, a cool spring breeze coming in. He went over and looked out the window. There was no one there. Then behind him there was a sudden panting of breath. Then he heard someone rushing up to him, swinging their arm. He turned around quickly and grabbed their wrist. It was Lido. There was a wild look in her eyes. Nothing like he had ever seen before. It was sad, hopeless, and filled with rage. Her expression softened when she realized who he was.

"Itachi." she whispered. She dropped the kunai and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

He held her. He did not want this for her. He put his hand under her chin and lifted her face to kiss her eyelids, her jaw line, the corners of her mouth anything just to be reassuring himself that she was alive. "Thank gods you're safe." he said, kissing her forehead. He wanted to make it all go away. "Lido, how did you survive? Did you see who attacked you?"

"My mother saved me." her voice was weak from her closed up throat. "She wounded the one who attacked us. But she died in the process. And I could not see his face. But he was dressed in a black kimono with red clouds on it. His face was covered by a mask." she answered.

"Lido, I have to get you out of here. Come on." he grabbed her hand and led her downstairs quickly and out the back door. They ran into the woods toward the hill where all of this had began. Once they were up there he stopped. "Lido, you must go on from here. Run as fast as you can into the leaf village. Go to the hokage and tell him what happened. He will give you safety."

"Itachi..." she started.

Someone was near them. He could feel it. "Come out! Whoever you are, come out so I can see you." Itachi called.

"I wasn't hiding." it was the shark face man Itachi had seen earlier. This was not good. He was an Akatsuki member. "You are helping this young lady. Why?"

Itachi was speechless. He couldn't reveal to an Akatsuki member that he had feelings for someone. After all that could be used against him. People could hold her hostage and that would get him and her both killed. He couldn't have that. But if he said that she meant nothing to him then Kisame would tell him to kill her or do it himself.

"Come on now. It isn't that difficult of a question." Kisame said. "Is it that you don't have an answer or that you are afraid to say it? Let me help you, the truth would be nice."

"Kisame, this young woman... she... she... She means more to me than my entire clan. I have to save her. And I will not let her die. I would kill or be killed for her. I hope you know what that means." Itachi glared at the other man.

Kisame stared at the raven-haired man. He suddenly broke out into laughter. "You just killed an entire clan and now you want to save one girl. A girl that just witnessed everything that went on and could tell the hokage all about us. About what we did tonight? Do you think that our leader will think it wise? Do you think you will still be his favorite after you let this girl go?"

"He will never find out." Itachi said.

The two men stood there and sized each other up for a few moments. Preparing to fight each other.

"Lido," Itachi spoke. "Run as fast as you can."

"Itachi... I..." Lido started. "Go! Now!"

"I won't leave you!" she yelled.

Kisame looked over to the woman. The look on her face was none like he had ever seen before. She looked utterly determined to not be moved from the spot where she stood. There was no fear in her eyes. Just desperation. Desperation to live. Desperation for love. And Stubbornness from hell. He relaxed his guard.

Itachi stared at Kisame. He was not believing what was happening.

Kisame sighed. "I let it slide this time. I won't tell a soul. But this act of kindness better not happen again, Uchiha." with that he disappeared.

Itachi looked over to Lido. His luck seemed endless today. But now was not the time to relish it. "Go!"

"Itachi." Lido spoke. "You won't forget your promise. Will you?"

Itachi stared at her for a second. He walked over to her. He lowered his head and kissed her. "Never. Now go and don't look back."

She nodded and with that she began to walk quickly deeper into the forest toward the leaf village. But she did look back for just an instant. Not at her village. Not at her past life. But at Itachi. At what they could have had. At what they might have been. But then she turned around and broke into a run. Knowing that couldn't be and if she stayed here she would have nothing to live for.


	3. Speechless

Trace: Wow.... Ummm... oops....

*camera pans to see Itachi covered in needles and blood*

Trace: Okay.... ummm.... *doesn't know what to do* Okay... that manual says that you aren't suppose to be bleeding...

Itachi: Well, it's too late for that!

Trace: Umm.... right.... I'll...be...right....back.. xD

Itachi: Trace! TRACE!!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!!! TRACE!!!

A/N: Okay. I know that I haven't been good to you guys at all. I just lost interest in Itachi's and Lido's story and got busy with other pairings. I promise you, however, that I have picked this back up and that I won't leave you peoplez in the dark. Thank you! Enjoy. :D

Chapter 3 _Speechless_

All I heard this morning was that they were coming; but I didn't know who. The hokage had placed me under the care of their best black ops and jounin which were positioned around the heavily guarded building. I sat in my bedroom in which five blackops were positioned around, staring out the rain pelted window.

It was an awful dreary day, rain pouring down all day. If anything bad were to happen it would be a terribly good day for it. I sighed then thought about going out for a treat after this was over. Surely they wouldn't keep me locked in here for long.

My thoughts were interrupted by a clash of metal and loud thuds outside the building. I bolted out of the room. All of the ANBU in the hall were already rushing outside. The intruder had advanced inside the building and was now forcing the leaf ninja further in. I readied myself for anything; I had thought.

My feet sank into the ground and my heart throbbed. More ANBU fell to the ground, blood splattered on the ground and across this unearthly man's face. Men and women I knew fell to the ground and did not get back up. Another blue being towered over the first one and swung a sword.

"Try not to kill them." said a wonderful, melodic voice. The voice seemed to hum and pause in his throat before it was released and hit the ears. The sound was like water pausing on the tip of a rose petal then falling to ripple in a puddle.

"You take all the fun out of it!" said another rough and wild voice which I barely registered. Shark-like teeth disapeared behind blue lips. Fists met flesh and kunai met kunai until the only two left standing were the strays.

Blood had streamed down my Jounin vest and my skirt. My face was soiled with the same red substance I had grown used to over the years. Everyone I had known had just been taken out, and I had just stood there. I had stared in wonder. Was this what it was like to have so much power? Was this like what happened so many years ago?

The shorter figure straightened from his fighting position then turned his head for his eyes to meet mine. I could not distinguish the irises of his eyes from his pupils therefore the expression that could be expressed on his face was cold. Black hair tied back, black cloak with red clouds, and a scarred leaf headband-- surely this was death for I thought this day would never come until I had passed on. The wrinkles under his eyes as well as the dark shadows had become more visible and his face and body filled out, but this was indeed--

"Careful Itachi." spoke the blue man warningly.

_Itachi._ The name I had waited for so many years to hear again was now the name of a killer.

I wonder what Tsunade would think of me, frozen in place-- unable to kill the notorious murderer of the Uchiha clan.

Two forces pulled me in different directions at the same time: run and never look back at the man who betrayed me or wrap my arms around him. My head and my heart both were pounding in my head.

Itachi walked to me, closing the gap between us and causing my heart to pound harder and faster with each step.

He put his lips to my ear and whispered my name. _Lido._ He poofed into smoke before me. "Kuso." I breathed. I raised the kunai and glanced around. The blue skinned man grinned toothily, watching my every move.

I struck, my arm flinging out to meet flesh before my mind could tell it to do so. A strong hand gripped my wrist. My left hand began to sign. The floor rose up to trap Itachi's legs, his hand immediately releasing mine. Kisame's grin faded.

"Stay there," Itachi warned. He then turned to me and closed his eyes. My eyes trained themselves upon his feet.

"Your power is halved without your Sharingan. Whatever it is you want, you will not get past here."

Itachi began to form hand signs. "Too bad we don't have to go anywhere. Fire ball jutsu!"

I dodged the flames quickly but couldn't see what he was really doing. The heat from the jutsu was just enough to free him from the floor. The flames allowed him just enough time to slip behind me and knock me unconscious.

When I woke up I found myself to be lying in a very uncomfortable bed. I looked around me. The walls were rock. There was nothing in the room except for an armoir. To the right of the door a small portion of the room was walled up and had a door. I hoped that was a bathroom. I rose up quickly and saw Itachi standing in the corner. He no longer wore the black kimono with red clouds on it, but was instead wearing blue jeans and a gray t-shirt.

"About time you woke up." he said, his voice a cold sensation sending shivers down my back. "Sleep well?"

I didn't know what to say. There was so much to say. So much to ask him. So much to tell him. But all I could manage was a nod.

He walked a few steps forward toward my bed.

"Well." he said. "Um.... If you will, get up and get dressed. The shower is to your right."

He turned around and opened the door and then closed it, disappearing into the hallway outside.

I didn't know where I was or why Akatsuki had kidnapped me. But I had to find out. I got up from the bed and grabbed a white robe from the chair beside me. I then went to the bathroom and closed the door. Stripping down I turned the shower on and stepped into it, the warm water waking me up and soothing my nerves.

After I had washed and dried off I put my robe on and then opened the door to go out to my room. My eyes widened when I saw Itachi sitting on the bed. Startled, I withdrew and calmed myself quietly. "Um. Could you-"

"We need to talk." he said.

"Okay, but can it wait? I'm a little..."

"No. Once I take you outside that door, Lido, you and I become something quite different than what you are used to."

Stunned I asked, "Why exactly am I here, Itachi? Why have you protected me over these years. I kept your secret. Why don't you feel like you can trust me?"

"Because this secret does not just involve us. If I told you, I would not only be risking my life, but yours as well as others." There was a long pause of silence in which we both stared at each other. I looked for any trace of weakness in his eyes, anything that would give me a clue as to what he was talking about. As usual, there was nothing.

"When you and I step out of that door, we are no longer what we once were. I am the captor, you are the captive. You are to do what I tell you to, when I tell you to do it. Understand?" his voice was low, even for his regular one. This voice struck fear into me. What had I gotten myself into? More importantly, what had Itachi gotten himself into? I nodded.

His face relaxed a little. He handed me some clothes. Here, put these on in the bathroom. You won't be needing the ones you have on."

I looked at my jounin vest and sighed. I hid my headband under the matress then I went to the bathroom and changed into a red tank top and a pair of dark blue jeans. Next came a pair of sandals. I combed through my hair with my fingers and pulled it over my shoulder.

"The man you are meeting is Zetsu. He is the one we report to around here. Do not let him scare you. He feeds on fear." came Itachi's voice.

I opened the door to see Itachi standing inches in front of me. I saw a stunned and soft look on his face, the same one that I had seen on his face so many years ago. As quick as the look had come, it faded into a grim one. "This way."

Trace: Alright alright! Calm down! *comes back with a box of bandaids* (I think the readers are getting tired of the accupuncture thing anyways. I need a new hobby!

Itachi: o.o Please.... no more needles....

Trace. Nah... needles are boring. I was thinking more along the lines of taking up chainsawing.

Itachi: O.O

Trace: *grins evily*

Itachi: *runs for his life*

Trace: *runs after him* Awww.... come on Ita-san. I was only kidding!!!!


End file.
